This article is part of our DraftKings MLB series.
Get ready for a full afternoon of baseball Monday. The main DraftKings slate starts at 1:00 PM EDT, so be sure to get your lineups ready early. Let's highlight some pitchers and hitters who could thrive based on their respective matchups.
Pitchers
Even with his hefty salary, Corbin Burnes ($9,900) should be one of the more popular pitching options. He's off to a fantastic start with a 2.33 ERA and an even better 1.07 FIP. He also has a whopping 42.5 percent strikeout rate, which is even more impressive when you consider that his walk rate is just 2.9 percent. If all of those numbers weren't appealing enough, he'll be facing a Tigers team that has the third-worst OPS in baseball.
When healthy, Rich Hill ($8,800) can be a difference-maker on the mound. He's been just that for the Rays, posting a 3.63 ERA and a 3.91 FIP across his first 10 starts. His strikeout rate sits at 27.9 percent, which puts him on pace for a strikeout rate of at least 27 percent for the eighth time in the last nine seasons. While a matchup against the Yankees might seem like a daunting task, their lineup is missing a couple of key hitters because of injuries. When Hill faced them a couple of weeks ago, he recorded nine strikeouts across 6.2 scoreless innings, so he's at least worth considering for their rematch.
Once a top prospect in the Yankees system, James Kaprielian ($9,100) has dealt with injuries that slowed his path to the majors. He's healthy now, though, and has allowed two or fewer runs in each of his three starts this season. In his last outing, he pitched seven shutout innings against the Mariners. Given that they have the worst OPS in baseball, Kaprielian could have similar success in their rematch.
Top Targets
With the Red Sox having their matchup against the Marlins rained out Sunday, Eduardo Rodriguez ($8,200) will have his start pushed back to Monday. He enters with an unsightly 5.06 ERA, but his 3.52 FIP indicates that he hasn't pitched nearly that poorly. Still, with the lefty set to take the mound, Alex Bregman ($5,200) could be a great option. Not only is he off to a great start with a 140 wRC+, but he has a career 171 wRC+ against lefties.
Jesse Winker ($4,600) is off to a dominant start for the Reds, posting a .287 ISO and a .446 wOBA. While his .383 BABIP isn't sustainable, it's encouraging to see his strikeout rate sitting at 18.8 percent, which is down from 25.1 percent last season. He could be an ideal option in DFS against Vince Velasquez ($8,400), who has a bloated 14.4 percent walk rate. His ERA might be sitting at 2.95, but his 4.95 FIP and that ugly walk rate are causes for concern. Also, he's allowed 1.7 HR/9.
Bargain Bats
Staying with the Reds' matchup against Velasquez, Tyler Naquin ($3,700) could be someone else to consider. While he has cooled down some from his fast start, he has at least one hit in six of his last seven games, leaving him with a .350 wOBA, overall.
Wade Miley ($6,500) has been somewhat fortunate this season to allow a .250 BABIP that is 54 points lower than his career mark. He's still not missing many bats based on his 18.9 percent strikeout rate, so this might be an opportunity to take a chance on Alec Bohm ($3,600). His salary is this low because his 28.4 percent strikeout rate has contributed to his .241 wOBA. However, with Miley not recording many punchouts, Bohm could provide value given his 49.3 percent hard-hit rate.
Stacks to Consider
Twins vs. Jorge Lopez ($5,800), Orioles: Nelson Cruz ($5,000), Alex Kirilloff ($4,100), Miguel Sano ($3,800)
Lopez remains a member of the Orioles starting rotation out of necessity, not because of his performance. He has a 5.80 ERA and a 5.32 FIP through 10 starts, which are close to in line with his career 5.99 ERA and 5.16 WHIP. Add in a career 1.50 WHIP and this is a great opportunity to stack the Twins. Lopez has also allowed 1.6 HR/9 for his career, which makes this powerful trio even more appealing.
Padres vs. TBD, Cubs: Fernando Tatis Jr. ($6,100), Eric Hosmer ($4,600), Jake Cronenworth ($4,700)
Trevor Williams was originally scheduled to start this game, but he's been scratched after undergoing an appendectomy Sunday. As of Sunday night, no official replacement starter had been named. This could very well end up being a bullpen game for the Cubs, which puts them in a tough spot against the Padres' dangerous lineup. Although Hosmer isn't off to the best of starts in the power department with his .127 ISO, he's still managed to hit .289 and drive in 30 runs across 46 games playing in such a potent lineup.
Athletics vs. Logan Gilbert ($5,100), Mariners: Matt Olson ($4,700), Mark Canha ($4,700), Jed Lowrie ($3,800)
Gilbert faced the A's in his last start and had his best start since being called up, although it wasn't exactly an outing to brag about. He allowed two runs across four innings and hasn't pitched more than four innings in any of his three starts. Given his career 15.2 innings above Double-A, it wouldn't be a surprise to see the A's have more success against him the second time around. Olson could be the key to any A's stack given his .287 ISO and .373 wOBA.
